Old Town parking changes - Green Fair - La Nina - Coastal Cuisine

Parking changes to be implemented…

About 18 Old Town business owners reviewed some proposed changes to parking restrictions in Old Town Florence Wednesday night, and, they came up with a suggestion or two of their own. City Manager's executive assistant Shawn Penrod said the changes were drawn up in response to input received last fall from many of those business owners, employees and residents.
200 -- "What was suggested is a ban of RVs and trailer parking in the main Bay Street area, including the block up Nopal, First street and, I think Laurel, and then the three hour seasonal parking restrictions would also be in that main Bay Street area."

Penrod said areas away from the immediate core Old Town area will no longer have three hour limits between May and September. A new issue was raised this week though. Having to do with over height vehicles that block the view of businesses from passing traffic.
201 -- "Heighth was something that had come out of the meeting that we hadn't really thought of. Staff was really looking at, more at length, but several people during the meeting had brought up that heighth was the problem as well."

The challenge, he says, is accommodating those limitations… of height and length… without creating a deterrent to visitors.
202 -- "So the tricky part is you know not to discourage those RVs or those ATV users or anybody with a tall vehicle from coming to old town, but to help them find another place to park."

Penrod says the changes do not need to be approved by elected officials. Signs restricting over-length parking will go up as soon as they’re completed. Three hour parking limitations go into effect May 1st.

Some call it March moistness… Kathie Dello of the Oregon Climate Service at Oregon State University in Corvallis said this March was the only one since they’ve been keeping records that had a measurable amount of rain every day of the month. “It’s been cool and wet everywhere” she noted. In addition to lots of rain, snowpacks are above normal and many communities have yet so see temperatures above 60 degrees. Dello says the weather pattern has been impacted by La Nina. That weather phenomenon appears to be winding down however and she says neutral conditions are expected by summer. (thanks to Matt Jarvis)

A variety of seminars and demonstrations about recycling, sustainability and other ways of protecting the planet, according to organizers, are set for tomorrow’s Green Fair at the Florence Events Center. Among the demonstrations: Sustainable Utility Networks will talk about solar arrays; Beckman Enterprises will show off their experiences with ‘off-the-grid’ homes; and Advanced Energy Systems will show you how you can save 30 to 40 percent off your electricity bill by using the sun to heat your water. The Green Fair is from ten to five tomorrow.

Tickets for the Fourth Annual Coastal Cuisine Gala are on sale at a variety of locations. The benefit for Florence Food Share is expected to raise more than $10-thousand by offering diners samples of a variety of offerings from area restaurants, caterers, wineries and breweries. In fact, nearly three dozen establishments will be offering those samples at Three Rivers Casino Tuesday, April 19th. Tickets are $50 per person.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) - A jury in Roseburg has begun its
deliberations in the aggravated murder trial of an Oregon man
accused of killing a teenage girl in 1998. KVAL-TV in Eugene
reports that closing arguments wrapped up the trial of Dale Wayne
Hill yesterday, sending it to a Douglas County Circuit Court jury
after seven weeks.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Portland police have arrested a teenage
suspect in connection with the death of a 14-year-old girl who was
missing since March 21. Police say 16-year-old Parrish Bennett
faces one count of murder and has been booked into the Multnomah
County Juvenile Detention Center in the death of Yashanee Vaughn.

CORBETT, Ore. (AP) - Human remains found by a hiker near Corbett
in the Columbia Gorge area have been identified as a 57-year-old
man who had been missing for years. The Multnomah County medical
examiner's office says someone found Stanley Brown's remains at a
campsite in a wooded area near Interstate 84.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State Police say a 67-year-old
Molalla man struck by a hit-and-run driver while bicycling to a
friend's home has died of his injuries. Thomas Mossman died
Thursday. He had been hospitalized with critical injuries since the
March 22 crash left him in a ditch along State Highway 211.

WILSONVILLE, Ore. (AP) - Seven malnourished Kiger mustangs from
a herd that a Burns man is accused of neglecting have crossed the
Cascade Mountains to recover. The owners of Wild Horse Mountain
Ranch in Sherwood volunteered to care for the horses. Tim Westfall
faces 22 counts of second-degree animal neglect and a single count
of first-degree animal neglect.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A House committee today hears a bill that
would require Oregon drivers to use their headlights at all times.
Advocates of daytime headlight use say it improves safety by making
vehicles more visible to others on the road. The panel is also
scheduled to consider a separate proposal that would require
headlight use whenever windshield wipers are turned on.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A committee in the Oregon House is taking up
legislation that would urge Congress to reimburse the state for the
cost of keeping illegal immigrants in prison. The House Judiciary
Committee is scheduled to hear the nonbinding measure today.

BEND, Ore. (AP) - A Marion County sheriff's spokesman says
hundreds of searchers are expected along the North Santiam River
this weekend, looking for any sign of a missing Bend woman. Lori
Blaylock disappeared Oct. 28 and some of her clothing was found
along the river. Her husband Steven Blaylock has pleaded not guilty
to murder in her disappearance. He says she walked away from their
home.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

The Creighton Bluejays and the Oregon Ducks meet on the court at Matthew Knight Arena this evening in the final and deciding game of the College Basketball Invitational. The Jays won the first game Monday night in Omaha; Oregon won Wednesday in Eugene. Tip off is set for seven o’clock… the pregame show on KCST is set for 6:30.

Pac-10 baseball gets underway this weekend… Oregon opens play in the desert with a three-game series against Arizona State in Tempe. Oregon State is in Tucson where they’ll face Arizona.

On the prep schedule… Siuslaw softball has altered their schedule… they’ll face Marshfield in Coos Bay tomorrow at one. Viking Baseball will be at North Marion for a noon double header. Viking Track and Field is in action tomorrow at the Junction City Invitational.